Gobdon mckay



(No Model.) 2"SheetsSheet 1. E. P. RICHARDSON;

LASTING MACHINE.

o. 311,851. Patented'Feb. a, 1885.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. P. RICHARDSON.

LASTING MACHINE.

No. 311,851. Patented Feb. 3.1885.

N. PETERS. Phummm m nw Waslllnglom 0. c.

IUNITED TATES ATENT FITICEQ EVERETT P. RICHARDSON, OF LAWVRENCE, ASSIGNOR TO THE MCKAY & THOMPSON CONSOLIDATED LASTING MACHINE ASSOCIATION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS; GORDON MOKAY, OF NEWVPORT, RIIODE ISLAND, PRINCIPAL TRUSTEE.

LASTING-MACHINE.

ESIFIGATIUN crating part of Letters Patent No. 311,851, dated February 3, 1885.

Appication tiled Notemher 3, 1882. (No model.)

T 0 aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EVERETT I. RICHARD- soN, of Lawrence, county of Essex, and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in LastingMachines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My present invention in lasting-machines has more especial reference to the construction and operation of the jaws or grippers which engage and hold the upper, and their combination with nail-driving mechanism and with a thumb-rest, and is of especial advantage for lasting the toes of boots and shoes, but may obviously be used for lasting any part of a boot or shoe. In my present invention the pivoted jaw members are forced together to grasp and hold the edge of the upper placed about a last held, preferably, in the hands of the operator, and, are then together moved or changed in their position with relation to the nail-guide and nail driving mechanism, the said jaw members holding the upper firmly until a nail or tack has been driven therein and into the inner sole. The nail-guide has projecting laterally from one side of it a thumb-rest, against which the operator may press his thumb, employing it as a lever as he draws the last toward him, while the upper thereon is held by the jaws, such movement straining and fitting the upper closely to the last. The fitting of the upper closely and smoothly about the toe and heel of the last results in the formation of wrinkles or gathers along the edge of the upper, into which gathers, to gain the best results, the tacks or fastenings to hold the upper to the inner sole should be driven. .XVhile the jaws grasp between them only that one part of the edge of the upper which is to receive the nail next to be driven, the operator, as he draws the last toward him, also moves or turns it somewhat to one side in the arc of a circle, which he can do, as the edge of the upper is grasped at but one spot, which enables the full part of theupper to be gathered and the gathers to be compacted closely together between one side of thejaw members and a nail or tack previously driven into the upper and inner sole, and such gathered part is further compacted by the blow of the driver as it drives the nail or fastening. In this my in vention the frame-work of the machine has a long projecting arm, upon which thejaw members are pivoted, and at the front end of the said arm I have placed the nail-guide, which receives the usual stringnail wire,it in practice being taken from. a suitable spool supported on,

a bracket of the frame-work. In all other lasting-machines known to me wherein the last holding the upper is so supported as to be turned and present one part of the upper after another, to be drawn and fitted to the last preparatory to driving a nail in the upper or inner sole when the toe of the upper on the last is being lasted, the heel of'the lasthas been kept toward the operator, and when the heel part of the upper was beinglasted the toe of the last has been kept toward the operator, and consequently the edge of the upper grasped by the jaws has been interposed between the driver and the operator. In this oldplan that part of the upper in line with thejaws, and which is being drawn and fitted to the last, is concealed from the sight of the operator, because the part of thelast to \vh ich-the upper is then being drawn is farthest away from the operator at what is then the most re mote surface of the last. To enable that pai t of the upper which is being fitted to the last, portion by portion, to be seen by the operator as the last is being turned and the edge of the upper is being presented, portion by portion, to the jaws, in order that he may see before each nail is driven if the up per has been correctly stretched about the last without wrinkles or gathers except in the edge of the upper which is laid down upon the inner sole, I have provided the long arm referred to, and have so constructed the jaws or grippers and so mounted them with relation to the said arm and the nail-guide attached to its front end that the said jaws or grippers open Vertically toward the operator, grasp the edge of the upper, and hold it at'the position Fig. 5.

side of the nail-guide, so that the edge of the upper into which the nail or fastening is to be driven is directed away from the operator, and the said arm is of such length and shape as to permit the operator to place the last in horizontal position with its sole uppermost whenever the lastthe' upper being grasped by the jaws or grippersis to be drawn toward him to draw and stretch the upper over the last. To do this it will be understood that the said arm must be longer than the length of the longest shoe to be lasted.

Figure 1 represents in sideelevation a lasting-machine embodying my invention, part of its frame being broken out to economize space on the drawings, the said figure showing part of the arm of the machine in dotted lines to illustrate the parts back of it; Fig. 2, aside elevation of thejawsremoved; Fig. 3, a plan view of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a detail showing the shoe held by the operator, and with the upper grasped between the jaws; Fig. 5, an opposite side elevation ot'the upper part of the machine; Fig. -6, a plan view of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a partial front View of the upper part of the machine, showing the nail-guide, driver, and thumbrest, and Fig. 8,.a detail of the nail-guide to show the cutter member therein and the cam to turn the driver.

The standard A supports the frame A, having the stationary overhanging arm A*, which is longer than the length of the largest shoe to be lasted, so that the operator holding the said shoe with its sole in nearly. a horizontal position may turn it end for end under the said arm and keep the shoe-upper, except where grasped by the jaws e f, back of the mouth of the saidjaws. The stud a, fast to the frame A, receives upon it the loose clutchpulley parts a a the latter having a sleeve provided with a cam, 12. These clutch-pulleys and the wedge-bar b, to force them together when the cam b is to be turned once and then left at rest, are old in nailing-machines. The wedge-bar b is pivoted to one arm, b of a rocking sleeve, 12', placed on a stud, I)",

and the opposite end of the sleeve has a forwardly-extended arm, L and an upright part, on which is pivoted the brake B. A spiral spring, 5 attached to the sleeve I) and frame, acts normally to keep the wedge 12 drawn down and the brakeB against the pulley a thus'holding the cam 12 at rest in the The sleeve of the pulley a has attached to it asecond cam, 4. (Shown in r Fig. 5 andin dotted lines, Fig. 1.) The rod 0, attached at its lower end to the treadle'c, held up, as in Fig. 1, by the spring c,attached to it and the standard A", has pivoted to it at b a latch, I)", provided with a projection, 2. Depression of the treadle causes the projection 2, normally retained a little above the arm b to descend, act upon, and turn the arm b and sleeve b to elevate the wedge b and cause the two pulleys and cam b to start and turn together, and as soon as the cam 12 has been rotated far enough to let the driver-lever D de-' scend under the action of its operatingspring d, and the cam b has again liftedthe driver, the cam 4, referred to, strikes the upper end, I), of the latch I), held pressed toward arm 12 by spring I), attached to rod 0, and causes the latch 12 to be turned far enough to push th projection 2 from the arm b after which the spring 9 assumes control of the sleeve 1) and wedge b and causes the brake B to lock the pulley a". The jaws e f, serrated at their ends, are adapted to be separated and present an open mouth toward the operator. The under jaw, 6, projects forward from a rock-shaft, 0, held in a rigid part of the framework; but the jawf. is mounted on the said rock-shaft loosely. Shaft c has connected with it and extended backward an arm, 0 provided with a stud or pin, which is extended through a slot, 0, at the upper end of rod 0. The pin 0 has connected with it the upper end of a spiral spring. 0 partially shown in Fig. 5, thelower end of which spring is attached to an adjustable collar, c", of the rod 0. When the treadle is held: fully up by the spring 0, as it normally is when the driverlever is lifted and the machine is at rest, the lower end of the slot 0 acts upon the pin 0* and keeps the front end of jaw e sufficiently far below thejaw f, as in Fig. 2, to afford op portunity for the introduction between the jaws cf of the edge of the upper a ofthe shoe on the last a. The jaw f is normally held down below the end of the nail-guide h by a pin, f, acted upon by a spring, f thus affording a space below the nail-guide and between it and the jaws to permit the gather in the upper to rise at one side of the jaws and between them and the nail last driven. To

limit the deseentof thejaw due to the action j of the spring f, the jawis provided with a pin, f, to enter a slot of an adjustable ear, f, attached to arm A. (See Fig. 5.) When the jaws e fare separated for the introduc tion of the upper between them, both jaws occupy a position a little below the lower end of the nailguide h for the stringnails. The upper having been inserted between the jaws, a slight movement of the treadle and rod a downward will cause the spring a to pull on the arm 0 turn the jaw 6 toward jaw f, and cause the jaws to close upon the upper with sufficient force to hold the upper firmly enough to permit the operator to strain it to the last by pulling the latter toward him, during which time the operator turns the last a little toone side, to lay a close plait in the upper between the nail last driven into it and the inner sole and the part of the upper held between the jaws, and during the formation of this plait the jaws are sufiiciently below the end of the nail-guide h to permit the fold or plait so formed to rise or be formed.- As soon as the part of the upper held between the jaws e f has been stretched and fitted snugly and smoothly to the edge of the last presented toward the operator, such edge being in plain view, the operator further depresses the treadle c, and the under and upper jaws are both slightlylifted,impinging the upper where it is to receive the next nail directly against the lower end of the nail-guide h, and the projection 2 then acts on the arm 1;" to cause the cam I) to be started and cause a nail to be driven into the upper. ,As the portion of the cam b of greatest radius leaves the roll 3 at the rear end of the driver-lever D, the spring 1. one end of which bears against the pin (1 of the said lever. and having its other end attached to the adj ustable, ratchet-hub d, held in place by the locking-pawl d, causes the driver-lever to be thrown down quickly. As the driver reaches its lowest point it strikes against a piece of rawhide, 35, laid on the frame part A, and held in place by the plate 36, (the latter being partially broken away in Fig. 6,) to avoid the battering of the driverlever. The grooved nail-guide h, which receives the usual string-nails, n, supplied from a spool, (not shown.) is attached to the arm A by screws h", and all the nails in the nail guide, except the one next to be driven by the driver m, are covered by a shield, m. The nail-guide near its lower end has set into its groove a steel cutter orfedge, 0. (See Figs. 7 and 8.) Nearits upper end, the said nailguide has adjustably attached to it by screws 30 31 a cam or projection, m, against which the heel 32 ot' the nail-driver m, pivoted at m on the driver-lever D, strikes as the driver reaches its lowest position and has engaged the head of a string-nail and driven itinto the shoe far enough to be cut off, the said projection at forcing the lower end of the driver inwardwith s utiicient power to cause its lower end,shaped and adapted to act both as a driver and cutter, to co-operate with the cutter meniher 0 and sever from the string of nails the nail being driven, the same having been more or less completely driven. The driver drives the nail fully into the upper of the shoe held between the jaws e f, andby its lower end strikes with a hammer-like blow that portion of the upper about the nail-head, and assists in flattening the gather or crimp into which the nail is driven. A spring, m, connected with the driver at above its fulcrum and with lever D,keeps the lower hammer-like and cutting end of the driver in contact with the shield m", and effects the engagement of the driver with the head of a nail to be driven. The nail-guide It has adj ustably attached to it by screws 38 the thumb-rest t.

The shoe to be lasted will have its upper u. placed upon the last a in connection with an inner sole. Let it be supposed that the toe of the shoe is to be lasted, the operator will grasp the shoe in one hand, as in 4, and will place the edge of the upper between the open jaws ef, place his foot upon the treadle c, and close the jaws, and with his foot yet upon the treadle to keep the jaws closed, he

will press the thumb of his other hand against the thumb-rest, and while grasping the shoe in that hand and keeping his fingers on the inner sole, he, by the pressure of his thumb against the thumbrest as a lever, and by the movement of the hand toward him,will draw the last toward him, stretching and fitting the upper closely about and to, the last, and by aswinging or circular motion of the last,which he may move in any direction, he will lay the gathers in the edge of the upper. This being done, the treadle will be further depressed, and the edge of the upper, or the gather last laid, will be pressed firmly against the lower end of the nail-guide, at which time the projection 2, referred to, will act to start the machine and cause the descent of the driver to drive a nail or fastening. During this operation the edge of the last to which the upper is being drawn and fitted is kept presented to ward the operator, who is thus enabled at all times to see whether or not the upper is being fitted tightly and smoothly to the last. A nail having been driven, the machine cannot be made to drive another nail until the operator removes the pressure of his foot from the treadlc and permits it to be lifted to carry the projection 2 above the arm If. The lower end of the spring u might be attached to the rod 0.

I am aware that a shoe-upper has been placed on a last secured to a jack, and while the toe is pointed toward the operator that the upper has been drawn to the last by the action of several pinchers, which simultaneously engage the edges of the upper at the toe and sides of the last, as in United States Patent No. 101,151; but such patentdoes not contain anail-driving mechanism or jaws controlled by a treadle, and all parts of the upper near the points thereof grasped by thelasting device are not presented toward the operator as the upper is fitted to thelast. The jaws ef are made long to grasp the upper close up to the edge of the inner sole and last, and are made narrow, so as to touch only a small part of the edge of the upper, thus enabling the jaws to get a deep but narrow hold of the upper from its edge to very near the edge of the inner sole. The ends of the jaws project toward the operator beyond the nail-guide and hole therein through which the nail is driven into the upper, and the upper is grasped by the jaws at a point between the edge of the inner sole and the line in which the nails are driven through it. The under jaw,e,has a series of holes and the upper jaw,f, a series of pins or round teeth, which cooperate to hold the upper firmly between the jaws. These teeth are placed in a row, one back of the other, so as to operate upon different portions'of the upper back from its edge andin thesame line. The jaws, by

taking a deep narrow hold of the upper, enable the latter to be drawn and fitted, portion by portion,to the last more closely than if the said jaws were made wide and short and en gaged the upper only at its edge, and by the a broad jaw.

pins or teeth standing one back of the other in the same line are less liableto tear the upper than were the teethplaced side by side in a I claim J The jaw e and treadle to moveit, and the jaw f, normally held down below the end of spring substantially asdescribed.

5. The jaw f and spring to force it below the nail-guide, arm 0 thejaw 6, rod 0, treadle with which it is connected,and a spring, 0,

combined with spring 6 to operate substantially as described.

6. The leveror driver carrier D and means to move it, asdescribed, and the driver pivoted thereon, combined with the nail-guide having the cutting member and with a cam or projection to vibrate the said driver and cause it-to engage the head of and drive a nail and out it from a connected nail, substantially as described.

7. In a lastingmachine, a nail-guide,a nail- 4 driver,andjaws or grippers to-grasp and hold the upper with its edge directed away from the operator, combined with a thumb rest, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. In a lasting-machine, the driver-lever and driver the clutch part a and the clutch a, its cam b, and the wedge I), combined with the arm'b and its connections to actuate the wedge, and with the rod and its projection to engage the arm when it is desired to actuate the driver, substantially as described.

9. In a lastingmachine, the overhanging arm or jaw support and the jaws or grippers adapted to engage and hold, as described, the

edges of the upper directed away from the v position-occupied by the operator, combined, with adriver and means to operate it automatically at the desired time to drive a nail or fastening into the upper backof its edge and between its edges and the operator, sub stantially as described. 10. In a lasting-machine, a pair of jaws adapted to present an open mouth toward the operator to receive,..grasp, and hold the. up. per with its edge directed away from the op erator, and a treadle and connecting-rod, c, to operate the said jaws, combined with an organized nail-driving mechanism, substantially as described, to drive a nail into the upper while held by the said jaws.

'11. The nail-guide and thumb-rest and an: tomatically operated nail-driver, combined with a pairof jaws and means to move them, whereby the jaws areadapted to rise andfall' or move vertically with-relation to the said nail-guide, and to grasp and hold the upper,

as described, while the operator moves the last by hand to stretch :and fit the upper to the last, substantially as described.

12. The nail-guide and automatically-operi ated driver, combined with jaws arranged" with relation thereto as described, to be opened vertically, so as to present an open mouth toward the operator and grasp and hold the upper with its edge near which the nail or fastening is to be driven directed away from the operator, as set. forth. 1

13. The nail-guide, combined with thejaws having their ends projected outward, as described, beyond the nail-guide, and adapted to grasp and hold the upper farther from its edge than the line of fastenings driven into the upper, as and for the purpose described} 14. In a lasting-machine, the jaws ef, provided with the series of holes and with a series of pins or teeth arranged one back of the other, as described, to grasp and hold a narrow part of the'upper, as set forth.

15. In a lasting-machine, the springheld or yielding jaw f and the movable jaw e, co operating therewith, combined-with acon nected treadle to operate the jaw e, substantially as described. I f 4 In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification-in the presence of two sub! scribing witnesses, v a

' EVERETT P. RICHARDSON;

".Witnesses: I l G. W. GREGORY, Y FRED A. PownLL. 

